Storage-battery plate.



W. S. HUTCHINSON. STORAGE BATTERY PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY is. ms.

" Patentd June 5, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. S. HUTCHINSON.

STORAGE BATTERY PLATE.

APPLICATWN FILED JULY 16,1913- 1 ,228,675. Patented June 5,1917. I

2 SHEETS-SHEET'Z.

ioi ir'rien iiiilllfiilil @lEFIlUCE...

SWORA GE BATTERY PLATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 191

Application filed $1113 16, 1913. Serial No. 779,873.

1/ '1 0H whom. it may concern."

Be it known that I. llinacmmj Snow]? .1 luri'nixaoa'. a subject of thefi ling of Great: Britain, and resident oi the city oi ldontri-al. inthe Province oi Quebec and Dominion oi l' anada. have invented certainnew and useful improvements in Storage- ]latlcrv Plates. oi which thefollowing is a. lull. clear. and exact description.

This invent-ion relates to improvements in storage battery plates, andthe main object ol the invention is to provide a plate of bi functionalcl'iaracier which may be manufactured at greatly reduced cost, both asrea'ards material and labor in assembling.

furlher object is to provide a batlery plate of great durability andlong: lil'e so constructed that the halter will he free fromsedinnaitation and sulfatioin.

In the .nunin'l'aoture of batteries ol the lead-lead type. the. usualpractice is to arrange lead elripa pasted with aclive material. withinanlal inpaeparatorsin piles. each pile l'oi'ininn' a single plate andcontaining only a single. row 01'. lead strips. in order to prevent thelnu'hiin ir oi the lead strips. the same have been mounted in hohhxs ofdiil'erenl. kinds in addition to the separators. In this invention, theholders or .fl'illllih; are so .iorined an to hold a plurality of leadingc, 1?

strips arranged edge to edge. so that the number at inovenu-nls requiredto assemble the l'ralner-s and nlrips and to paste on filler 1 ll".however, platen of usual active material is-gzreatly reduced,ihuredncing the cost of inanufaclure. Al. the same time. the amount. ofmaterial required for the franies is slightly reduced. and a morecompact: hatterv in n'oduced requiring a ninaller and iherelloro le aexpensive jar. The hattcr v' platos iorincd by this means are .ofcompound type. each plate being the equivalent ol' two or more ordinaryplates. size are ilcsirial. the parts may he asaenihled alarm-ding tothis invention and the compound plate .formed out into a pluralitv ofthin plates of the usual size.

In the drawings which \"ention Figure 1 is a pers wctive VllW of abattery plate complete formed according to the present. invention.

Figs. 2, 4- and 5 are perspective views showing irames adapted tocontain respectively two. three and six lead strips.

Fig. 3 is illustrate the ina. fragmentary sectional View.

' site end the bar 96 showing alternative methods oi? making the frames.

6, i' and 8 are fragn'ichtary perspective viii-we showing various formsof separators.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of one form of lead strip.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective View of a grid which may he used inplace of the lead strip.

ileferring more particularly to the draw: designates a compound batteryplate complete formed according to the present in rention and huilt upof a plurality of frames K s p'aced apart by aeparators S and T,arranged in lhlll'H. is a heavy rigid ha 1' or hinder E over whichstraps ll pass and secure the various parts,

together. The 'arions lead strips oli the plate are connected to busbars designated PM and il"l. v

'lhe frames ix. each comprise a plnrahty of longii'inliual members.designated 21, 211

rang-ed parallellv and connected at one end by a transverse. liar 22 ofsijihs'rantially the same m as themselves. Throughoutthe length of thisframe. members 21 are com heeled by nun lranaverse liars 23 and 21 orranged alternately on opposite sides of the "Frame, as clearl)" shown inFig. 2. so that. clear and unohslriu-led channels will be left from endto end oi" the frame, as. plainly nhown in Fig. 3. (hie of these rows ofbars, for instance the'liars 22). may have at; one end of ihe 'lrannabar very close to or integral \vilh'the end 212, while at the oppowillconnect the extremities of the longitudinal nu'niecrs. These lHll'S mayhe arranged in staggered relation,

- in the upper-part. oi Fig. 3. or in two a'ows as ahown in thelmverpart of Fig. 3, with. the barn opposite. The :n-rann'eiuent of theselllll'H in not of vital iniporlance and depends niore upon the ease ofnlainifacture than anything else. fl er instance the frame may he castor die-pressed with the bars 23 on one side integral with thelongitudinal members, and with notches 27. Formed in the opposite sideof {he bars for the reception of the bars 2 which may he pressed andcemented into place. Another method of making the frame would be topress the same in two parts which would be connected along the dotanddash line, designatedQS, in the lower part of Fig. 3. i

M; each end of the plate.

The frame shown in Fig. 2 isadapted to contain two lead strips. In Fig.4, a frame Ur is shown similar to the frame K, but adapted to containthree strips. The structure of this frame may partake of any of theforms already described. In Fig.5, a

I frame H is shown ha ring the capacity of six strips. This frame aswill be readilyseen consists really of three frames K, formed integralbut separated bygrooves 29 which form circulation passages for theelectrolyte.

This frame H could obviously be constructed of two of the framesGseparated by as single groove :29- It will be understood that the framesmay be made any size desired, so as to contain any number of lead strps, suitable provlsion such as the slots 29 be ng made for thecirculation of the electrolyte,x and to provide for the vent lation ofthe plate and escapeof any gases formed.

These plates, whatever their capacity may be, are spacedapart byseparators arranged in pairs. The separator Sconsists merely of a thinplate 30 of suitable size provided with a multitude of small aper,

tures .31 arranged in elongated groups,

- adapted to register with the lead strip spaces of the frame. The frameT is similar I to the frame S, but is provided in addition with aplurality of small lugs 32 arranged I to register with the longitudinalmembers of the frames. In the form shown in Fig. 8,

I the separator instead of being provided with I lugs 32 is providedwith a plurality of longitudinal ribs or corrugations 33. This form .isparticularly adaptable for wood separa tors owing to the fact that thesmall'lugs 32 would soon break off from the separator;

' surface maybe accomplished by milling'or knurling the surface, asshown at 34:, by

' punching out apertures 35 or by displacing at in place of an aperturethe metal, so 1; entirelythrough the strip a recess will be formed onone side and a projection on the opposite side. Various other means maybe obviously employed to, attain the same re- I spirit of the invention.

v a grid of any suitable form, of which one salt without in any waydeparting from the preferable to substitute for the lead strip exampleis-Zshown in Fig. 10. This grid will" be constructed of metal,preferably lead, and will hold between the bars 36" thereof the activematerial applied either in the-form of a paste or of separatepreviously, formed blocks'held in position by the bars.

The method of assembling the plate is It may also be very simple.Thelead strips or grids, according to winch are used, 'aresllpped intothe frames which are formediof any suitable insulating material such asvulcanite, or

may evenbe formed of metalcovered wan insulating material. The stripseach occupy a the space bet\,veen adjacent longitudinal members of theframe,and are, held'parallel with theframe by the cross bars 23 and 24.In this way, pockets are formed. on each 7 side of the frame equal indepth to the thick ness. of the cross bars. The activematerial is thenapplied to the lead strip, preferably in the form of a paste, and inquantity sufit cient to fill the pockets level full. The lead stripsitwill be noted are longer than the frames,so that the c'ndof each strippro jects beyond the open end of the frame, that is past the bar 26.These lead strip ends, 2 which are designated 37, are 1 preferablyslightly thicker than the bodies of the strips.

The pasted frame is now inclosed between two sepa1'ato1s,-.frm exampletwo separators S. The n'extftame to be placed'in the plate is inclosedbetween two separators T,zwhich are arranged with their lugs turnedoutwardly." The next frame is arranged between two'plainseparators S. Itwill thus be seen that the separators of adjacent plates are spacedapart by the lugs of the separatorsl), so that passages are formed forthe free circulation of the electrolyte and the escape of gases. Inarranging'the frames, the closed ends are placed alternately at the topand bottom of the plate, so that the ends 37 of every secondstrip'project at the top of" the plate, while the ends of intermediate stripsproject at the bottom of the plate.- Thus, in making up the plate, theframes -in-; closed between plain separators may be con- I sidered ,asnegatives, and those between lugged separators as positives, so that theparts may be assembled with the greatest ease,negative andpositivealternately. The upwardly projecting ends37 are connected to thepositive busbarsj-l-M, while the down- Wardly projecting ends ofalternate strips are connected to the negative bus bars M. In ordertobring thenegative bus bars to the top of the plate, [one of the end barsE. is provided with grooves 38, in which the negative bus bars extend,from the bottom to the top complete, as shown indotted lines, Fig. 1. Inmaking up the plate, the" use of the compound frames shown obviouslydecreases the amount of work. For instance,a

sixstrip frame may be picked'upand the strips inserted with sevenmovements,

whereas with single strip frames, twelve movements would be required,thus showing, a sav ng of approximately 40%. 1The same saving applies tothe pasting on of the active material and to the assembling of framesand separators into the completed plate, the

economy being in some instances almost i nesenvs 80%. It would bepossible in connecting the strips to the bus bars to connect all thestrips to a single broad bus bar, but it is preferred to use a separatebus bar for each row of strips, as shown in Fig. 2, and connect the endsof these has bars M into a common bus main, not shown. in the drawings.This arrangement concentrates the full lines of current, as is wellunderstood, and enables a uniform distribution during both charging anddischarging. Of course, it would be possible and practical in the caseof a plate having three or more rows of strips to connect the strips ofeach row across the plate, and then to connect these cross connectorsinto a single bus bar located parallel with the strip rows.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that a battery for theplates constructed according to this invention may be built forcomparatively small cost, and will in addition have a maximum ofefliciency, as the active material is thinly distributed over a verylarge area, so that action takes place all through the material and notmerely on the surface. The use of perforated separatorsof insulatingmaterial in direct contact with the active material of the electrodes,prevents the loss of this material through disintegration into smallparticles.

Which separate from the main body and fall to the bottom of the batteryjar, producing What is commonly termed sediment. The spacing apart ofthese separators permits lree circulation of the electrolyte in anydirection and easy contact with the active material, not only oppositethe apertures of the separators but on the entire surface of thematerial. This latter condition is due to the fact that there is littleor no adhesion between the insulating separators and the activematerial, so that the electrolyte entering through the apertures of theseparaters circulates behind them. This spacing apart of the separatorsalso provides upright passages or flues through which all generatedgases escape by the shortest and most natural path. The use of thinstrips of lead or li ht grids and also the compounclin of it' rarnes andseparators reduces the Weig t, so that the battery has in addition anincreaseof 'efiiciency as compared with the weight of" material. Eachstrip being entirely inclosed in an insulatin casing efiectuallyprevents buckling or the strips and consequent short circuiting of twoor more. The arrangement of bus bars:

provides for concentration of the full lines and equal distribution ofcurrent to all parts of each plate and to all plates, so that theefficiency of some parts of the battery is not limited by inefficiencyof other parts. Furthermorc, the battery produced is obviously of greatmechanical strength and long life. The danger of sulfation is alsoreduced to a minimum, by reason of the equality of current density andperfect circulation and ventilation in all parts of the battery.

Haring thus described my invention, What I claim is 1. In a storagebattery unit, a frame comprising a plurality of longitudinal insulat ingmembers and a plurality of transverse insulating members connecting thelongitudinal members, certain of said longitudinal members being widerthan others, electrolyte passages formed in said wider iongitudinalmembers, metallic conductin. strips inserted in the channels between sailongitudinal members, and a coating of active material on said strips.

In a storage battery unit an electrode frame comprising aplurality oflongitudinal insulatingmembers having transverse strip retaining barssaid members bein separated into groups by electrolyte circulationpassages.

3. In a storage battery unit, an electrode frame comprising a. pluralityof hmgitudinal insulating members of difi'erent Widths and electrolytepassages formed in the wider of said longitudinal insulating memhers.

4. In a storage battery unit, an electrode frame comprising a pluralitof longitudinal insulating members of difi'erent Widths, transverseinsulating members connecting the longitudinal members and electrolytepassages formed in the wider of saidlongh tudinal insulating members.

5. in a storage battery unit an electrode frame comprising a pluralityof longitudinal members having transverse strip retaining bars ofinsulating material thereho tween, some of said longitudinal membersbeing wider than the others and electrolyte circulation passages in theWider of said members.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twoWitnesses.

WILLIAM SCOTT HUTCHINSON.

Witnesses:

S. R. W. ALLEN, G. M. Monnnaun.

Hill

